Spatial and Taxonomic Variation in Disease Resistance for Amphibians in Mount Rainier National Park
Project ID: J8W07110025
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: Oregon State University
Fiscal Year: 2011
Initial Funding: $38,979
Total Funding: $38,979
Project Type: Research
Project Disciplines: Biological
National Park: Mount Rainier National Park
Principal Investigator: Bartholomew, Jeri
Agreement Technical Representative: Samora, Barbara
Abstract: In western North America, a disturbingly large percentage of native frogs and toads (anurans) have suffered severe declines and local extinctions including in our most pristine and remote reserves. Although some declines are the direct result of chronic and well known causal factors such as habitat loss and fragmentation to urban and industrial development, or the spread of invasive species, there remains considerable uncertainty as to the causes of well documented declines of amphibians in our most pristine and remote protected areas and in the extent of declines. The pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) causes a disease in amphibians called chytridiomycosis. This disease has been a major cause of amphibian declines and extinctions in parts of the world. Not all species are susceptible and, while the pathogen appears almost ubiquitous worldwide, not all regions of the world have experienced documented die-offs of amphibians from chytridiomycosis. A particularly troubling aspect of this disease is that the greatest impacts have been in protected areas. This is a collaborative project to examine the resistance of the amphibians in Mount Rainier National Park to chytridiomycosis. Project participants include a principal investigator and graduate and undergraduate students at Oregon State University (Departments of Microbiology, and Fisheries and Wildlife), Dr. Michael J. Adams, Pacific Northwest lead for the Dept. of Interior, Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), and Mount Rainier National Park (MORA) staff.
The objectives are to: 1) Rank pond-breeding species based on resistance; 2) document variation in resistance among populations; and 3) Screen samples from various locations in the park for the presence of Bd. National Park Service (NPS) staff will be involved in this project in several ways, including developing a field and lab work plan, collecting field samples, and preparing resource briefs and a final report. This project will benefit the public by providing an understanding of the relative resistance of amphibians in protected areas to chytridiomycosis. This knowledge will help inform land managers about the risk of this disease to amphibians in the central Cascades of Washington, and in protected areas such as national parks and Wilderness areas. Results from the study will be available on the NPS website for use by the general public to understand how this disease affects amphibians in a protected area.